CASE STUDIES

Wetlands, known as the “biological supermarket” are rich in biodiversity (and genetic wealth) and support a large food web. They are also known as “kidneys of the landscape” because of their ability to store, assimilate and transform contaminants from the land before they reach waterways. Wetlands can stabilize the water supply, purify sewage and recharge groundwater. Wetlands are rich in aquatic resources which are vital for the livelihoods of rural communities worldwide, including those in Bangladesh. Fish, prawns, crabs, mollusks and clams are significant components of wetland ecosystems, with their life cycles intricately linked to these habitats. The fishing industry provides livelihoods for 80 percent of people in developing countries.

Historically, there are only a few cases where restoring nature as infrastructure was carried out on a massive scale. China’s Sanbei Program is one of such sizeable ecological restoration or conservation programs in the world. Officially launched in 1978, the program aims to restore plant coverage in almost all parts of northern China, particularly the arid areas in the northwest to improve adverse environmental conditions in northern China, such as severe soil erosion and frequent episodes of sand and dust blowouts that had long disrupted local agricultural activities.

According to the Global Mangrove Watch, Indonesia has about 23 percent of the world’s total mangrove area, equivalent to about 3.5 million hectares in 2008. This presence is distributed along the coastlines of 265 out of 301 coastal regencies in Indonesia. Yet, areas without mangrove cover, predominantly located on the southern side of Java Island and the northwest region of Sumatra Island, remain vulnerable due to their lack of natural coastal defense from heightened tidal flood risks compared to other areas. On average, approximately 25 percent of the regencies lacking mangrove coverage encounter tidal flood disasters at least once every five years, while only 16.5 percent of the regencies protected by mangroves have the same frequency of flood occurrence.